[Faulty results of liver function tests in persons with bioptically normal livers].
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BACKGROUND/AIMS: In order to predict liver failure which can lead to death after hepatectomy, a sensitive and specific indicator is needed for liver function. Transcystic duct tube (C-tube) drainage after hepatectomy is thought to be useful in decreasing postoperative complications. METHODOLOGY: Conventional serum liver function tests, and total bile acid (TBA) and total bilirubin (T.Bil) concentration levels of bile from a C-tube in 11 hepatectomized patients who underwent C-tube drainage were compared on postoperative day 2 (Day 2) and postoperative day 7 (Day 7). RESULTS: When serum liver function tests were improving between Day 2 and Day 7, the TBA concentration in bile was increasing in contrast to a decreasing T.Bil concentration. On Day 7, TBA concentrations in the bile in patients without liver cirrhosis or with low ICGR15 values were higher than those in patients with liver cirrhosis or with high ICGR15 values, whereas there were no significant differences between T.Bil bile concentrations in the two groups on Day 7, that is, the measurement of TBA bile concentration might be a faster and more accurate parameter for liver function than that of T.Bil bile concentration. CONCLUSIONS: TBA bile concentration obtained from C-tubes was a useful liver function indicator after hepatectomy.
BACKGROUND/AIMS: To research for possible adverse effects of blood transfusion on liver function at a relatively long term after hepatic resection, liver function tests at one and two years after the surgery were studied in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-one patients with no evidence of cancer recurrence during two years after the surgery were selected for this retrospective analysis. Patients were divided into two groups depending on perioperative blood transfusion: those who received blood transfusion (BT(+), n = 38), and those without blood transfusion (BT(-), n = 33). RESULTS: There were no statistical difference in the preoperative clinical features including liver function tests except decreased prothrombin time index (P < 0.01) and larger amount of intraoperative blood loss (P < 0.01) in BT(+) group. Platelet counts at 2 year after the surgery were significantly higher in the BT(-) group (P < 0.05). Two-way ANOVA showed no significant difference in liver function tests between the two groups. In multiple regression analysis, blood transfusion significantly correlated with serum total bilirubin at 1 year, but did not at 2 years after the surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The influence of blood transfusion in the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was considered to be minimum within 2 years after hepatectomy.
The pattern of liver function test abnormalities was examined during total parenteral nutrition (TPN), using both dextrose and fat emulsions as caloric sources, in 92 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Seventy-two patients had completely normal tests before TPN while 20 had one or more abnormal liver function tests before TPN was started. Serum bilirubin levels were normal in all patients before TPN; within 2 weeks on TPN, 25% of patients had elevated bilirubin levels. Serum alkaline phosphatase rose to values above normal in 25% of patients with normal starting values but did not change in those with abnormal baseline liver function tests. Elevations of SGPT were characteristically more pronounced than were elevation of SGOT. After 2 weeks of TPN, mean serum SGOT rose from 15 to 26 IU per liter (p less than 0.01) in patients with normal baseline values and from 28 to 50 IU per liter in those with abnormal baseline values. Elevations of serum SGPT were most common, affecting 25% of patients with normal baseline. The mean SGPT value rose from 13 to 38 IU per liter (p less than 0.01) at 1 week of TPN. In patients with abnormal tests before TPN, the mean SGPT value rose from 45 to 102 IU per liter (p less than 0.05). Liver biopsies performed in four patients with substantial elevations of aminotransferases revealed only minor nonspecific changes and no fatty infiltration. Elevated liver function tests promptly returned to baseline after TPN was discontinued, and progressive liver disease was not observed in any patient.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Serum liver function tests were estimated in 57 patients admitted to an Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) with a diagnosis of septic shock. Following an initial biochemical disturbance, persisting hyperbilirubinaemia was associated with a poor prognosis. Post-mortem liver histology in 22 patients showed varying degrees of non-specific reactive change, venous congestion, ischaemic necrosis, fatty change and intrahepatic cholestasis in 16 cases. In the remaining six cases there was moderately severe cholestasis with inspissated bile in the cholangioles. The possible aetiology of the observed cholestasis is discussed.
Abdominal ultrasound examination is so easy that it may be overused. To reduce medical costs, we investigated whether preoperative ultrasonic abdominal survey was necessary for oncologic patients with normal liver function tests. We used the ultrasound diagnosis as the final standard to test the value of liver function tests for the prediction of liver metastases. Five hundred forty-four patients with various primary malignancies were referred for preoperative ultrasonic survey of the abdomen. The results showed that for a single test, serum albumin was most sensitive (87.2%) but least specific (29.4%), and serum bilirubin was least sensitive (13.0%) but most specific (97.2%), for the prediction of liver metastases. For a combination of five tests or more, the sensitivity was 95.9% and the specificity 29.5%. In patients with normal liver function tests, liver metastases were detected by ultrasound in two of 106 (1.9%) patients. One hundred of 544 (18.4%) patients having major abnormalities that may influence clinical management were also detected during the ultrasound examination. We conclude that ultrasound is convenient, cheap, and without side effects. It can provide additional information affecting patient management, even in the presence of normal liver function tests.
OBJECTIVES: We sought to study the utility of liver function test abnormalities concomitant with biliary symptoms in predicting a favorable response to endoscopic sphincterotomy in patients with Geenen class II sphincter of Oddi dysfunction. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical course and liver function test results of 24 Geenen-Hogan class II postcholecystectomy patients with biliary colic secondary to sphincter of Oddi dysfunction who did not undergo sphincter of Oddi manometry before treatment with endoscopic sphincterotomy. RESULTS: Twenty of the 24 patients had an average of 1.4 episodes of abnormal liver function tests associated with biliary colic; eight patients had dilated common bile duct on cholangiogram. Eighteen of the 20 patients with abnormal liver function tests (90%) were pain-free after sphincterotomy; in contrast, only one of four patients (25%) without liver function test changes responded to sphincterotomy. Fisher exact analysis showed that abnormal liver function tests was a significant predictor for favorable response to sphincterotomy with a two-tail p value of 0.018. Of the eight patients with bile duct dilatation, six (75%) responded favorably to sphincterotomy, whereas 13 of 16 patients (81%) without dilatation also responded to sphincterotomy. Analysis of common bile duct dilatation as a predictive factor showed no significance (p=1.00). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that the occurrence of abnormal liver function tests during biliary colic may be used to select patients for endoscopic sphincterotomy. Sphincter of Oddi manometry may not be needed in these cases.
We have investigated the ability of 99Tcm-disofenin (DISIDA) kinetics to measure liver function. Two approaches have been used: first, quantitative analysis of serial liver images, and second, clearance estimation from whole blood concentration-time data. Graded liver dysfunction was produced in 11 dogs over three months by common bile duct ligation and surgical relief of biliary obstruction one month later. The kinetic analysis of serial liver images showed clear abnormalities during biliary obstruction, with calculated rates of liver uptake falling in stages from 11.09 to 5.15 cts s-1 (p less than 0.001), and rates of elimination from the liver from 8.8 to 1.6 x 10(-4) cts s-1 (p less than 0.0001). These parameters paralleled the deterioration and recovery of liver function through the experimental period, and had not fully recovered 7 weeks after relief of biliary obstruction (10.5 and 6.2 x 10(-4) cts s-1 respectively). Serial blood sampling after injection of DISIDA permitted calculation of whole blood disposition rates (for hepatic clearance). Mean values fell from 256 to 67 ml min-1 with chronic biliary obstruction (p less than 0.001), and returned to almost normal (206 ml min-1) 10 days after surgical relief of biliary obstruction. It is clear that the gradual nature of recovering liver function was more sensitively identified by image analysis than serial blood data. Serial liver biopsies showed marked changes following biliary obstruction. These improved over a period of 7 weeks following its relief, when there was still considerable residual abnormality. This work supports the view that hepatic abnormalities caused by biliary obstruction do not recover quickly following its relief. DISIDA kinetics can quantitate both major and minor degrees of hepatic dysfunction, and may prove to be a valuable method to quantitative liver function.
In a longitudinal study liver volume and liver function were measured in a series of 12 patients undergoing partial liver resection for focal hepatic lesions. Ultrasonography revealed that liver volume, reduced by about 50% by the resection, progressively increased, and 6 months after surgery it returned to nearly normal values. A variable reduction in routine liver function tests was observed, possibly reflecting the influence of the different reserve synthetic capacity of the liver and, in the early postoperative phase, plasma half-life of liver products and blood loss or changes in plasma volume. The galactose elimination capacity was only marginally reduced in the early period (from a pre-surgery value of 2.49 +/- SE 0.21 mmol/min to 2.31 +/- 0.14 after 7 days; p = ns) and reached a nadir at 14 days (1.97 +/- 0.16; p less than 0.001). When expressed per unit of liver volume, the galactose elimination (22 +/- 2 mumol/min per unit before resection) progressively decreased during the regeneration phase from 36 +/- 4 at 14 days to 26 +/- 3 at 6 months (P vs 14-day: less than 0.01). At 6 months both galactose elimination and galactose elimination per unit of liver volume were no longer different from baseline values. Our data show that, following hepatic resection, both liver volume and liver function increase and progressively return to nearly normal values. In agreement with data obtained in animal studies, it appears that the metabolic activity of the remaining parenchyma is increased in the early postoperative phase, and it slows down in the course of regeneration.
The objectives were to determine quantitative liver function prospectively in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) treated with low-dose methotrexate (MTX), to search for risk factors for a loss of quantitative liver function and to assess the relationship between quantitative liver function and histological staging. A total of 117 patients with RA (ACR criteria, 85 women, mean age 59 yr) had measurements of galactose elimination capacity (GEC), aminopyrine breath test (ABT) and liver enzymes [aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (AP), 7-glutamyl transferase (GGT), bile acids, bilirubin, albumin] before treatment with weekly i.m. MTX injections and every year thereafter. In 16 patients, liver biopsies were performed. Before the introduction of MTX, mean GEC was 6.6 mg/min/kg [5th to 95th percentile (5-95 PC) 5.1-8.5; reference range 6.0-9.1] and mean ABT was 0.80% kg/mmol (5-95 PC 0.42-1.30: reference range 0.6-1.0). During treatment with MTX [mean weekly dose 11.8 mg (5-95 PC 5.4-20.2), mean observation period 3.8 yr (5-95 PC 0.4-6.9)], significant declines of GEC (-0.12 mg/min/kg per year. t = 3.30, P < 0.002) and ABT (-0.06% kg/mmol per year, t = 4.81, P < 0.001) were observed. Negative correlations were found between the annual change in GEC and GEC at baseline (Rs = -0.40, P < 0.0001), and the annual change in ABT and ABT at baseline (Rs = -0.43, P < 0.0001). No correlations were found between the annual change in GEC or ABT and weekly MTX dose, age or percentage of increased liver enzymes, and no effect of a history of alcohol consumption > 30 g/week became evident. Two patients with Roenigk grade III had impaired quantitative liver function, while 14 patients with Roenigk grades I and II exhibited a high variability of GEC and ABT from normal to abnormal values. The continuous declines in GEC and ABT observed deserve attention in patients with prolonged treatment. Patients with a low GEC or ABT at baseline seem not to be at increased risk for a further loss of quantitative liver function. An impaired GEC or ABT does not necessarily concur with hepatic fibrosis on histological examination.
Total serum bile acid assay for the evaluation of liver function has been available for many years but its application has been limited primarily by factors such as methodology, equipment and cost. New and improved methods for bile acid assay such as the radioimmunoassay or the hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase techniques have brought the assay for bile acids into the realm of the clinical laboratory. The efficacy of bile acids for clinical diagnostic use in the evaluation of liver function has not been firmly established. Newer methods using high pressure liquid chromatography to develop a profile of the different bile acids may clarify its usefulness and define its role among the many available tests of liver function in animals.
Liver function tests were performed in severe and mild diabetic rats and under the influence of ATP. In mild diabetics the serum cholesterol was significantly increased, while in severe diabetes the serum cholesterol was significantly lower than in mild diabetes. The decreased serum cholesterol in severe diabetes may be an indication for the development of fatty liver. The serum alkaline phosphatase and serum bilirubin were significantly increased in both the severe and mild diabetic states, while the thymol turbidity test was insignificantly changed in both states of diabetes. Serum albumin was significantly decreased in 10 days mild diabetes, while it was insignificantly changed in 48 hrs severe diabetic animals. The effect of ATP was investigated in mild diabetes. ATP resulted in a significant increase in serum albumin and a decrease in total globulins with the resultant increase in A/G ratio. The serum alkaline phosphatase exhibited a significant reduction under the influence of ATP. The elevated cholesterol of mild diabetic rats remained significantly elevated and was not reduced by ATP, though the fat content of the liver showed a significant reduction. This may be due to more rapid mobilisation of fat from the liver under the influence of ATP. ATP showed no significant effect on serum bilirubin and thymol turbidity test. the histopathological examination of the liver revealed that administration of ATP to alloxan diabetic rats had a beneficial effect. It resulted in disappearrance of the fat globules from the liver cells.
Several chemistry tests for liver function are examined. Included are the transaminases, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), and bromsulphalein (BSP), as well as combinations of these and the ALP isoenzymes.
A high incidence of liver dysfunction has recently been reported in adults receiving total parenteral nutrition (TPN) for prolonged periods. Liver function tests were followed in 36 patients undergoing TPN for more than two weeks (during the period January 1979 - March 1980). The calorie intake of the patients was limited to 125% of the energy expenditure and fat accounted for half of the non-protein calories. Increases in serum alkaline phosphatase and SGPT values were observed in respectively 14% and 11% of the patients. One patient also showed increases in SGOT value and serum bilirubin concentration. These results suggest that the incidence in liver dysfunction during TPN can be reduced by adapting the calorie intake to the patient's needs and by including fat in the TPN formula. The etiology of hepatic alterations induced by TPN is discussed.
In order to determine whether or not the lidocaine metabolism, monoethylglycinexylidide (MEGX) formation, could be used as a liver function test, we measured the serum levels of MEGX in 38 patients. There were significant correlations between values of MEGX (MEGX15, MEGX30, AUC15-30, AUC0-180) and conventional liver function tests (ICG R15, AT III, T. Bil). It appeared that value of MEGX 30 had maximum factor loading on conventional liver function tests by using principal component analysis. The advantage of adapting the MEGX formation as a liver function test of drug metabolism is simplicity of the method. MEGX formation could be useful index of the total liver function.
Liver function tests were carried out for serum zinc turbidity test, icterus index, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and transaminases in a series of 222 patients, of whom 119 had prostatic carcinoma, 63 benign hyperplasia of the prostate and 40 congenital abnormality without prostatic trouble. Patients having prostatic carcinoma often displayed abnormally high levels of zinc turbidity test, alkaline phosphatase, bilirubin and transaminases.
Hyperammonemic encephalopathy with normal liver function is an uncommon serious adverse effect of valproate therapy. We retrospectively analyzed the case records of 5 patients of epilepsy on valproate with hyperammonemic encephalopathy. Of the 5 patients, 3 were on monotherapy. The mean valproate dose was 1250 mg/day and the duration of therapy ranged between 4 and 90 days. Alteration in the sensorium was the presenting clinical feature. The risk factors included high initial dose (2), long-term valproate therapy (1), and long-term valproate therapy with concomitant topiramate (1). There was good correlation between the fall in serum ammonia levels and clinical improvement. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy should be suspected in patients on valproate with altered sensorium. Response to treatment is rewarding.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate liver function tests (LFTs) changes in the puerperium and the influence of specific obstetric events on these changes. DESIGN: A longitudinal observational study. SETTING: West Middlesex University Hospital, Twickenham. POPULATION: Ninety-four women with uncomplicated pregnancy who delivered at term. METHODS: Aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT), total bilirubin (Bilirubin) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were measured in early labour and on day 1, day 2, day 5 and day 10 postnatal. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Peak enzyme concentration, time of peak enzyme concentration, the area under the curve for each enzyme and the rate of change of enzyme level from predelivery to peak concentration. RESULTS: All LFTs were affected by delivery (P < 0.001), increasing by 88% (0-500%) on day 2 or day 5 for AST, 147% (0-1140%) on day 5 for ALT and 63% (0-450%) on day 5 or day 10 for GGT. Multiple linear regression showed that caesarean section and opioid administration was associated with a faster rise in AST (P = 0.001, P = 0.033 respectively). The mean peak GGT concentration was 39% higher in women having caesarean section compared with vaginal delivery (P = 0.015). Univariate analysis showed that perineal trauma, use of Entonox, maternal age at delivery and breastfeeding also influenced LFT concentration significantly. CONCLUSION: Liver enzyme levels change significantly in the puerperium and are affected by common obstetric events, particularly caesarean section. This study aids clinical interpretation of postnatal LFTs in women recovering from liver-related illnesses, by facilitating the differentiation of physiological and pathological processes.